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Northpoint (city)
The capital city of the kingdom that shares its name, Northpoint could be known as the jewel of the north - if only by virtue of being the only shiny stone in the region. Northpoint, then, is better defined by its other nickname: "The City of Whales and Whores." As the largest port along the shipping lanes between Skyrim and the Illiac, Northpoint's harbor is one of the most bustling in Tamriel, and the seamen that pass through often need a port of their own, and so Northpoint's prostitution industry is similarly thriving. The other part of Northpoint's nickname comes from its whalers, the industrious souls who brave the tumultuous seas to the north in search of the creatures valued for their meat, skin, and bones - these provide the backbone of Northpoint's unique exports, and many merchants have become rich off of whaling. History The earliest recorded mentions of the city that would become Northpoint come from a series of ancient letters exchanged between a "Rolf Hard-Helm" and a "Gregor the Mariner. Dated to early in the First Era, when the Nords ruled High Rock, the pair make mention of the "North-Pointed Post" sitting on the northernmost point of High Rock, describing it as the lone sanctuary in a hostile land of monsters and savages. Layout {wip} Important Locations The Seastone Keep Northpoint's most notable landmark is also its most important: The Seastone Keep, seat of Northpoint's kings and queens. As most of the city builds upwards from the harbour to the cliff that the Keep sits on, the foreboding castle looms over the entire city, and is visible not just from anywhere in the city, but also from miles off by both land and sea. Built entirely of massive, solid grey stone, The Seastone Keep is the oldest building in the city by several centuries, and is eerily reminiscent of the Palace of Kings that dominates Windhelm in Skyrim. This is no doubt intentional, as the stones themselves tell the life story of the (possibly mythical) first king of Northpoint, a Tongue named Triaton Siren-Son who left his homeland after a failed attempt to claim the throne of Skyrim. As the stones tell it, Triaton led a successful conquest from the sea to the foothills of the Wrothgarians, and then as far west as modern day Felway in a span of a single year, before returning to the current location of the Seastone Keep to establish his kingdom. The stones throughout the castle continue to tell the story of his next 80 years of life, as well as his companions and of his sons and grandsons. The cellars of the Keep tunnel fairly deep into the cliff beneath it, and there are at least two hallways in the cellars that end in doors that open to a sheer drop into the sea below. The purpose of these hallways are, unfortunately, unknown. The Guide The Seastone Keep is the oldest building in Northpoint, but Northpoint's lighthouse, called "the Guide" by locals and frequent travellers, claims the honor of being Northpoint's oldest structure. Tracing back to Northpoint's roots as a small outpost for Nordic raiders during the First Era, the lighthouse is built on a small rocky crag a short ways off shore from Northpoint Bay, and is the backbone that Northpoint's towering sea walls were built off of. Built of heavy white marble that still thrums with a palpable sense of magic, the lighthouse is carved with a strikingly realistic sea serpent curling around it, the mouth of which produces that magical flame that guides sailors into port. Arielle Lane ("The Docks") Arielle Lane, the road that traces almost the entire length of Northpoint’s harbor and the longest road in the city, is Northpoint’s red light district. Known in common vernacular as “the Docks,” the stretch of road consists of both Northpoint’s nicest, most well-paved streets, as well as dirt tracks that hardly qualify as a proper street on the other end. Its largest business is The Pink Pearl, located at 03 Arielle Lane, an upscale townhouse-turned-brothel that caters toward Northpoint’s most discerning clientele; it also operates as a tavern and restaurant for those not interested in it’s carnal offerings. Though Arielle Lane was originally named for one of Northpoint's most respected warrior women, the street became linked with brothels some time in the early 3rd Era; so too has the name Arielle itself become inextricably linked with whores, and though it was once a respectable name for daughters of the north, naming one's daughter Arielle now is considered an omen for her future. The most recent Imperial census reported that there were no less than three dozen active prostitutes using the name.